World’s biggest lottery shares the wealth in Spain

Multiple people pick the top winning number, spreading the $773 million to 46 of the country's 50 provinces.

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Spain's Christmas lottery, known as El Gordo, or "The Fat One," dished out $2.7 billion in prize money this year. Associated Press/Paul White

BARCELONA, Spain — Those holding ticket number 03347 struck it rich Saturday when they won the top prize in Spain’s famous Christmas lottery.

The lottery, known as El Gordo, or “The Fat One,” dished out $2.7 billion in prize money this year. The top prize for a winning ticket was $455,000, but there were many smaller prizes.

“Here the people are celebrating a lot, it’s the first time that the top prize for the Christmas lottery has fallen here,” Luis Soriano, owner of a bar that sold some top-prize tickets in the eastern town of Ontinyent, told the Europa Press news agency.

Other lotteries have bigger individual top prizes but El Gordo, held each Dec. 22, is ranked as the world’s biggest in terms of total prize money.

Multiple people picked the top winning number across Spain, spreading the $773 million distributed for it to 46 of the country’s 50 provinces.

“Where are those who said we were jinxed, after we have brought so much good luck?” said Jose Gomez, the manager of a lottery office in Cuenca, which also sold tickets for the biggest prize.

Individuals or groups of friends or colleagues buy the El Gordo lottery tickets, which cost $23 each, months in advance.

Following the lottery draw has become a winter holiday tradition in Spain, with people glued to television sets, radios or the internet, where newspaper websites give a running commentary.